1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to door hardware and more particularly to an improved door stop.
2. Prior Art
Simply stated a door stop is a device to be mounted behind a door to arrest opening movement of the door before the door or its handle strikes an adjacent wall or other member behind the door. Some door stops are secured to the floor. Other stops are secured to the wall or support behind the door. This invention is concerned with door stops of the latter kind. For convenience, this latter kind of door stop is referred to as a wall mounted stop, although the stop may be secured to other than a wall.
Wall mounted door stops are available in at least two different types. One type is a rigid stop constructed of metal with a cushion tip at one end and a screw at the other end to be threaded in the wall or other support. The other type comprises a flexible coil spring-like extension having a cushion tip at one end and a screw at the other end.
Both of these existing stops are installed by threading their screws into a wall or other support behind a door in such a way that opening movement of the door is arrested by contact of the door against the cushion tip of the stop. The rigid stop has a disadvantage in that because of its rigid non-yeilding construction, it may damage the door if the door strikes the stop with even a relatively light impact, notwithstanding the cushion tip on the stop. Moreover, the stop is not laterally yieldable and may break if contacted by an object which produces a lateral impact on the stop. Also, the stop may cause injury to a child or other person who accidently contacts the stop, particurlary if its cushion tip has separted from the stop.
The spring coil stop avoids such impact damage to the door, but suffers from the disadvantage that it often bends or buckles under the impact of the door, thus allowing the door to strike the protected wall or other protected object. Both of these existing stops suffer from the disadvantages that they tend to collect dirt and/or corrode. The cushion tips of the stops tend to separate from the stops, thus rendering the stops essentially useless since the non-cushioned stops will wear the door.
Accordingly,a definite need exists for an improved door stop which is free of the noted problems.